For the difference between TPA and TPP and Ted Cruz’s view on both, start listening at 10:03.

Cruz: Support for the TPA doesn’t mean approval for the trade agreement

The trade fight in the House looks bad for the White House this morning, while no one still knows what the actual trade agreement will look like in its final form. Ted Cruz explained to Hugh Hewitt that support for the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) didn’t mean approval for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a point he wants to emphasize so much that Cruz put it on his website:

Historically, since FDR virtually every president has had fast track authority. What fast track provides is simply if a free trade agreement is negotiated, that Congress will vote on it up or down without amendments and history has demonstrated for the last 80 years that the only way to get free trade agreements adopted is to have fast track. That if there is no fast track, free trade agreements do not end up being negotiated.

TPA is what the Senate voted on recently. I voted in favor of fast track because I support free trade. I think free trade benefits America. It creates jobs — opening markets to our farmers, to our ranchers, to our manufacturers, improves economic growth. In Texas alone, roughly 3 million jobs depend on international trade.

And if you support free trade, the only way history has shown free trade agreements get negotiated is through fast track.

Now there is a second issue which has caused a great deal of confusion and that is TPP…it is one specific trade deal that is being negotiated. It is separate from TPA. Congress has not voted on TPP, and there’s a great deal of concern about TPP.

Please go and read the rest of what Ed Morrissey has to say at HotAir.

Scott Walker has also endorsed Fast Track:

HALPERIN: Big trade vote in the House tomorrow. You support free trade, you support giving the president fast track authority. You don’t usually agree with him, why are you two in agreement on this?

WALKER: In the larger context it’s important to have free and fair and open trade. To me, if we are in an level playing field, our American workers can compete with anyone in the world and if we don’t vote on this path we’re going to be at a competitive disadvantage. And so I think it just makes sense. And I’m hopeful it goes forward.

HALPERIN: So House Republicans who are undecided should vote yes?

WALKER: Yeah. I think in the end — I mean one of the things that are important to remember now is that Republicans control the House, Republicans control the Senate. If this president were to give them a bad deal they should hold him accountable and vote it down. They have every right to do that under the proposal.